Machine for cutting blanks from leather.



D. PARKS.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING BLANKS FROM LEATHER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26.19I6.

Patented Mar. 18,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

k if Jiffy:

Inverfin z'slaris,

D. PARKS.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING BLANKS FROM LEATHER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26.1916. 1 97,899. Patented Mar. 18,1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Invenfir:

:y mu 4% D. PARKS.

MACHINE FOR cunme BLANKS FROM LEATHER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26.1916.

Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Invenior:

flezagz'srari $.00, am

DENNIS PARKS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING BLANKS FROM LEATHER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar, 18, 1919,

Application filed June 26, 1916. Serial No. 105,779.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lniown that I, DENNIS PARKS, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Cutting Blanks from Leather, of which the'following is a specification.

'This invention relates to the manufacture of shoes and has for one of its principal objects to produce a practical and eflicient machine for cutting lifts to constitute a heel, and, without being limited thereto, has more particularly to do with a machine for perforating or cutting out'a part of the heel-seat portion of the sOle of a shoe to provide a recessed seat for the reception and mounting of a tenoned heel, the piece cut out of the sole being utilized as, the top or finishing lift of a heel. Other important objects and advantages will hereinafter more fully appear.

The peculiar support for the shoe sole, shown in the accompanying drawings, is also disclosed in a patent of Puckett and Abbott, for apparatus for use in the manufacture of shoes, 1,254,010, dated January 15, 1918, and the same is hereby expressly disclaimed in this application, except as to the particular combinations and arrangements hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating a practical embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine, the cutting die and its supporting and operating parts being in uppermost position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale and partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, the cuttlng the being partially depressed and the latch member for the actuating dogs being just released therefrom;

Fig. 4 is a view showing the cutting die fully depressed upon the work and the actuating dogs in position to be engaged by the vertically reciprocating cross-head; and

Fig. 5 shows the cross-head in its lowermost position and in engagement with the actuating dogs, the cutting die being forced through the work.

Referring now to the drawings, the machine as shown comprises two horizontal, parallel base members 1, 2, on top of which are mounted side frame members 8. At the upper ends of the frame members 3 are vertically-bored socket portions 4 in which the lowerends of uprights or guide-bars 5 are fixedly secured. Near the upper ends of the uprights 5 operates a vertically-reciprocatlng cross-head 6 having sleeve portions 7 adjacent to its ends which slidably fit the uprights.

Depending from the ends of the crosshead 6 are fiat connecting bars 8 which are connected at their lower ends, as at 9, to eccentrics 10 working on a driving shaft 11 which is journaled in bearings 12 provided therefor on the side'frame members 8. The

connecting bars 8 are made stiff enough to support the cross-head 6, yet they have sufli cient flexibility to compensate for the rotatory movement of the eccentrics 10. By this arrangementthe cross-head has a constant and definite reciprocatory movement all the time the machine is in operation.

The attachment of the connecting bars 8 to the cross-head is preferably eflected by providing the cross-head with downward 6X1 tensions 13 at its ends, to which the bars 8 are riveted; and the eccentrics 10 are pro vided with slotted upward extensions 14 between which the lower ends of the bars 8 are clamped by the securing means 9, which latter is in the form of a headed throughbolt having a nut 15 thereon.

On the driving shaft 11 is keyed or otherwise secured a heavy fiy-wheel 16 constituting, a driving pulley, and adjacent thereto is a loose pulley 17 onto which the driving belt (not shown) is shifted when the maa screw-threaded aperture for the reception of a clamping screw 24 arranged and adapted to hold the cutting die in detachable engagement with the forward lug 21. By this arrangement dies of different sizes can be readily mounted on and detached from the plunger. The head 20 may be made as an integral part of the plunger, or, as shown, it may be detachably mounted thereon by reducing the end of the plunger and fitting the head on said reduced portion and securing it thereto by set-screws 25.

Extending on opposite sides of the plunger 19 are cross members 26 whose outer end portions are reduced, as at 27, and have the upper ends of connecting rods 28 pivotally attached thereto, as by perforating the rods for the reception of the reduced end portions 27 and placing outside of the rods washers 29 which are held in place by cotter pins 30. The lower ends of the connecting rods 28 are inserted in socket portions 31 at the outer ends of upward extensions 32 of a vertically-reciprocating treadle 33, the rods being secured by set-screws 34. The treadle is guided in its reciprocation by having rollers 33" at its ends working in channeled columns 33 which are secured on the inner faces of the base members 1, 2.

Above and straddling the upper end portion of the plunger 19 is a member 35 having two downward extensions or forks 36 at whose lower ends are lateral extensions or hooks 37, said forks 36 also straddling the portion 18 of the cross-head 6 and constituting actuating dogs or clutches which operate in a manner to be presently set forth.

The forks 36 have elongated apertures or slots 38 near their bases through which the cross members 526 of the plunger 19 project, and the lower ends of these slots 38 are normally held in contact with the members 26 by a spring 39 which is interposed between the upper end of the plunger 19 and the end of a hollow extension to of the member 35 in which the spring is housed; and, to facilitate a rocking movement of the member 35, as will be presently described, it is pref erable to interpose a plate l1 between the end. of the spring and the end of the plunger, said plate having a protuberance are on its upper face for engagement with the sprin Extending rearward, in a substantially horizontal plane, from the forks 36, are two arms as which are connected intermediate their ends by a cross-bar as. This cross-bar a has a notched or substantially V-shape seat 4:5 on its upper side, which, as shown, is provided in a hardened, headed stud 46 inserted through an aperture in the cross-bar and secured in place by a nut 47. Projecting forward from the cross-bar is a stud or hook 48 to which is attached one end of a spring as whose opposite end is secured to the upper, inturned end portion of a latch member 50, said latch member being pivoted, as at 51, to a rearward extension 52 of the head 20 of the die plunger 19.

The latch member 50 has a slightly undercut shoulder 53 near its upper end which is arranged and adapted to engage the notched seat es en the cross-bar 44:. At a lace some distance below the shoulder 53, the latch member is provided with a cam projection lying in the path of which is a pivotal dog or projection 55 which is mounted on a rearward extension of or a bracket member 56 attached to the cross-head 6, said dog 55 being so mounted that normally it is supported horizontally, but is free to swing upward, the upward movement being limited by an extension 57 on the dog engaging the cross-head 6.

A vertically adjustable cross member or yoke 58 is provided at its ends with extensions 59 which are sleeved on the uprights 5; and it is supported by two screw-studs 60 engaging the under sides of protuberances 61 on the front sides of the extensions 59 and being mounted in screw-threaded vertical apertures in protuberances 62 of the portions of the side frame members 3. Said screw-studs 60 are locked in adjusted position by jam nuts 63, and, for convenience in manipulating said screw-studs, they are provided with squared or polygonal portions 64 for the application of a wrench.

The yoke 58 is provided with two hooks 65 to which the ends of springs 66 are attachec, the opposite ends of the springs being secured to sleeves 67 which are fastened on the connecting rods 28 near the treadle extensions 32 by set-screws 68. These springs normally hold the treadle yieldably in raised position, which in turn holds the die plunger 19 in raised position through the medium of the connecting rods 28 and cross members 26.

the middle of the upper portion of the yoke 58 is an enlargement 69 having a vertical bore through which the shank or stem 70 of a work-support 71 extends with a sliding it. The lower portion of the yoke 58 is provided with an enlargement 72 having a bore through which the lower, reduced and scrcwhreaded end portion 73 of the shank or stem 70 fits rather loosely so as to slide endwise therethrough. Working on the screw-threaded portion 73 of the shank 70, and on opposite sides of the portion 72 of the yoke, are two adjusting and supporting nuts 74, 75, by the manipulation of which the work-support 71 may be readily raised and lowered and also locked in adjusted position with respect to the yoke. To preventthe work-support from rotating, a cross member 76 is secured on the shank 70 so as to slidably engage the front face of the yoke.

The work-support 71 may be of any desirable form above the yoke. That is, it may be either a fiat block, plate or table, or of any suitable shape or contour. However, for the purpose of an illustration, the worksupport of the apparatus for in the manufacture of shoes, as ch closed in the patent of Puck tt and Abbott, No. 3%,010, hereinbefore mentioned, is shown in the drawings accompanying the present specification. Generally stated, this support comprises two upstanding side members 7 7 connected at their upper ends by a plate or table 78* which is substantially flat on top and beveled or inclined on its under side for the accommodation of theheel portion of the shoe, the heel-seat portion of the sole of which is loose from the upper. For positioning shoes ofv different sizes an adjustable stop-plate 7 9 having a V-shape flange 80 on its under side is provided on the under side of the table 78, said stop-plate being slotted for the passage of a lockingscrew 81 and for adjustment, said screw cooperating with a clamping plate or nut 82 for securing the stop-plate in adjusted position.

The cutting die 83 has a spring 84 mounted therein, the end of the spring projecting normally below the cutting edge of the die so as to engage the work before the die comes in contact therewith. By this arrangement the spring is compressed within the die as the latter is brought into contact with the work and iscutting through it, and as the die recedes from the work after the cutting is effected the spring pressing on the cut out piece prevents the latter from being carried up by the die so that it is either left in the opening formed in the sole or is ejected from the die after the latter has moved a-wayfrom the sole. So, too, it is preferable to bevel the inner face of the cutting edge portion of the die considerably so that the portion of the sole surrounding the o ening is not spread outwardly or appreclably distorted during the cutting operation.

The operation of the machine will now be described. As hereinbefore stated, the crosshead 6 is constantly reciprocating ail the time the machine is in operation, and with a constant or definite stroke, say, for example, three quarters of an inch; and, normally, or until the die-plunger 19 is depressed, the

dogs 36 are held out of engagement with the cross-head owing to theenga-gement of the shoulder 53 of the latch member 50 with the seat portion 45 on the rearward extensions 43 of the member 35, as shown in Fig. The work being placed on the table 78, the treadle 33 is depressed to bring the die down upon the work. As the die-plunger moves. downward the cam portion 54 of the latch member 50 is brought into contact with the'dog 55 (see Fig. 3) and the latch member is thereby moved rearward on its pivot causing the shoulder 53 to leave the seat portion 45 of the member 35, after which the spring 49 pulls the latch member 50 against the cross member 44 or the head of the stud 46 in which the seat 45 is formed,and at the same time said spring draws the dogs 36 into contact with the position, as also more clearly shown in Fig.

4, the hooks 37 of the dogs 36 are brought under the cross-head when the die 83 is upon the work, there being a slight clearance between the lower edge of the cross-head and the hooks, said clearance, plus the thickness of the work to be cut by the die, being approximately equal to one-half of the stroke of the cross-head, and the distance between the plate 41 and lower end of the housing %101 ffor the spring 39 equaling the other The parts being in the positions shown in Fig. 4, the cross-head 6 on its downward stroke engaging the hooks 37 of the dogs 36 will carry the member 35 down initially without moving the die-plunger owing to the lost motion afforded by the arrangement of the slots 38, through which the cross members 26 project, and the spring 39. During the continuation of the downward stroke of the cross-head the spring 39 is compressed until the lower end of the housing 40 is brought against the plate 41, whereupon the die-plunger is depressed and the die is forced through the work (see Fig. 5). At this time the seat 45 is brought below the shoulder 53 and the spring 49 draws the latch member forward so that said shoulder 53' is in a position to engage the seat 45 when the crossvhead ascends. The treadle being released, the springs 66 raise the same, and, through the medium of the connecting rods 28, the die-plunger is raised; and as the shoulder 53 engages the seat 45 the actuating dogs 36 are restored to their normal position, as shown in Fig. 2. The machine is then ready for another cutting operation.

By the construction and arrangement of a machine as herein shown and described it is possible to so proportion the dimensions and correlate the movements of the die plunger 19, cross-head 6 and actuating dogs 36 that said dogs will not be engaged by said crow-head except when the cutting die is down upon the work of a given maximum thickness or less. That is, for perforating a shoe sole as herein set forth, the actuating dogs 36 are so proportioned that they cannot be engaged until the cutting die is brought down upon the sole which is supported on the table 78; and by reason of this, it is practically impossible for the operator to have his fingers accidentally amputated, as the average thickness of the work for which the machine is adjusted is considerably less than a fingers thickness.

To accommodate the machine to work of different thicknesses it is only necessary to interchange the plates 41 which may be made of different gage; and to take care of cutting dies of different lengths or the shortening of a die due to the re-sharpening thereof, the table 2 8 may be readily raised and lowered by manipulating the nuts 7 and 75, and in some cases by raising or lowering the yoke 58, which is readily accomplished by adjusting the screw-studs 60.

As shown in the drawings a counting de vice may be secured on the rear side of the yoke 58 and have its oscillatory operating arm or lever 86 connected to one of the rods 28 by a link 87, so that upon each depression of the die-carrier the device will be operated automatically to indicate the number of lifts cut or soles perforated.

Obviously, the machine admits of considerable modification without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims and not limited to the exact construction and arrangement herein described and shown. in the accompanying drawings.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a work-support, a reciprocatory member an independently-1novable member carrying a die, means for automatically effecting an engagement between said re-ciprocatory member and said independently-movable member when the latter is moved a predetermined distance, whereby the die is driven into the work, and means for automatically releasing such engagement after single operation of said independently-movable member in this relation.

2. In a machine of the class described, a work-support, a reciprocatory member, an independently-movable member carrying a die, means for automatically efiecting a locking engagement between said reciprocatory member and said independentlymovable member when the latter is moved a predetermined distance, whereby to drive the die into the work by the movement of said reciprocatory member, and means for automatically releasing such engagement after a single operation of said independently-movable member in this relation.

3. In a machine of the class described, a work-support, a reciprocatory member, a depressible member carrying a die, means for automatically effecting an engagement between said depressible member and said reciprocatory member when the former is lowered a predetermined distance, whereby to cause the die to be driven into the work by the reci procatory member, and cooperating means for automatically releasing such engagement after a single operation of said depressible member in this relation.

a. In a. machine of the class described, a work-support, a reciprocatory member, a depressible member carrying a die, and automatic mechanism carried by one of said members and arranged and adapted to be actuated in the descent of said depressible member to effect an engagement between the neat/nee same and said reciprocatory member in the downward movement of the latter, whereby to cause the die to be driven into the work, such engagement being released in the following upward movement of said reciprocatory member.

5. In a machine of the class described, a

work-support, a continuously reciprocating power member, areciprocatory die-carrier, means for manually moving the die-carrier to bring the die thereon into contact with the work on said work-support, means for automatically eli'ecting an interlocked en- 'agement between said power member and said die-carrier when the latter has moved a predetermined distance toward the work so as to drive the die into the work, and means for automatically releasing such engagement after a single operation of the diecarrier in this relation.

6. in a machine of the class described, a work-support, a continuously reciprocating power member, a separately depressible member carrying a cutting die adapted to cooperate with said work-support, and automatic mechanism carried by said depressible member and actuated in the descent thereof to effect an interlocked engagement with said power men'iber on the downward movement thereof, whereby the cutting die is driven into the work, said mechanism being released from engagement with said power member during the following upward movement.

7. In a machine of the class described, a work-support, a continuously reciprocating member, a depressible member carrying a die, and automatic mechanism carried by said depressible member and arranged and adapted to be actuated in the descent thereof to eitect an engagement between the same and said reciprocating member in the downward movement of the latter, whereby to cause the die to be driven into the work, and to be released from such engagement in the following upward movement of said reciprocating member.

8. In a machine of the class described, a work-support, a continuously reciprocating member, a manually depressible member carrying a die, means for automatically effecting an engagement between said depressible member and said reciprocating mem ber when the former is lowered a predetermined distance, whereby to cause the die to be driven into the work by said reciprocating member, and cooperating means for automatically releasing such engagement after a single operation of said depressible memer in this relation.

9. In a machine of the class described, a work-support, a continuously reciprocating member, a manually depressible member carrying a die, and automatic catch mechanism carried by said depressible member and arciprocating member in a downward movement of the latter, whereby to causethe die to be driven into the work, and "to be re leased from such engagement inlthe I fol. lowlng upward movement of sa 1drec1procat-- I ing member;

' 10. In a machine of theclass described, a work-support, a continuously reciprocating member, a depressible'member carrying a die, and automatic catch mechanism carried by said depressible member and arranged and adapted to be actuated in the descent of said member to efiect an engagement thereof with' said reciprocating member in a downward movement of" the latter, whereby to cause the die to be driven into the work, and to be released from such engagement'in the following upward movement of said reciprocating member and be maintained in such released relation until said depresslble member is again raised and depressed.

llpIn a machine of the class described, a work-support, acontinuously reciprocating member, a depressible member carrying a die arranged and adapted to cooperate with said work-support, an actuating dog having a pivotal and slidable 'movement on said depressible member, 'a latch member on said depressible member arranged and adapted for releasable engagement with said actuating dog to hold the latter normally clear of said reciprocating member, said reciprocating member and said dog being relatively arranged and adapted for engagement, means for automatically effecting the release of said latch member from said actuating dog when said depressible member is I moved a predetermined distance toward said dependently thereof a catch carried by said work-support to permit the engagement of said actuating dog and said reciprocating member in the movement of the latter toward said work-support, and a spring interposed between said depressible member and said actuating dog, whereby, after such engagement of said dog and said reciprocating member, and the die is in contact with the work, said actuating dog has a partial movement toward the work-support independently of said depressible member and subsequently a continued movement in fixed relation thereto, whereby to drive the die into the work, said latch member and said actuating dog being'in engaging relation, whereby to efi'ect the release of the latter from engagement with said reciprocating member in the movement of said member away from said work-support.

12. In a machine of the class described, a work-support, a continuously reciprocating member, a depressible member'mounted on said reciprocating member and movable in- 'depressible member and movable with and also independently thereof, automatic means arranged and adapted to throw said catch into the path of movement of said recipro cating member in the movement of the depressible member toward said worksupport, whereby said reciprocating member will engage the catch and thereby actuate said depressible'member to drive the die into the 1 work,and means operating in the following upward movement of said reciprocating member to move said catch out of the path of movement of said reciprocating member.

13. In amachine of the class described, a work-support, a continuously reciprocating member, a plunger slidably mounted in said reciprocating member and carrying a die to cooperate with said work-support,.springcontrolled pull-rods connected to said plun ger, a treadle member carried by said pullrods and arranged and adapted to'be depressed to lower said plunger, and automatic mechanism carried by said plunger and actuated in the descent thereof to effect an en gagementof said plunger and said reciprocating member in a downward movement of the latter, whereby to cause the die to be driven into the work. 'to be released from such engagement in the following upward movement of said reciprocating member, and to be reset in normal condition in the upward movement of the plunger.

14. In a machine of the class described, a work-support. a continuously reciprocating power member, a separate reciprocatory diecarrier, means for manually moving said die-carrier toward the work-support. an ac tuating dog on said die-carrier, a latch member on said die-carrier normally in releasable engagement with said dog for holding the latter clear of said power member, and

means for effecting the disengagement of sald latch member from said actuatmg dog when said die-carrier has moved a predeter mined distance toward the work-support,

the die upon the work, an actuating dog having a pivotal and vertical reciprocatory movement on said die-carrier, a latch member on said die-carrier arranged and adapted for releasable engagement with said ac whereby said actuating dog is engaged by from said actuating dog to permit said engagement oi the latter with said power member and a spring interposed between said die-carrier and said actuating dog, whereby, after such engagement of the actuating dog and said power member, said actuating dog has a partial movement toward the worksupport independently of said die-carrier and subsequently a continued movement in filled relation thereto, whereby the die is driven into the work and the latch member and actuating dog are brought into engaging relation so that said actuating dog and power member are disengaged upon the movement thereof away from the worksupport.

16; In a machine of the class described, a work-support, a vertically reciprocating power member operating constantly with a definite stroke in cooperative relation to said work-support aseparate reciprocatory diecarrier in cooperative relation to said power member and said work-support, means for detachably mounting a die on said die-carrier, means for manually depressing said die-carrier to bring the die upon the work, means for eiiecting an interlocked engagement between said power member and said die-carrier when the latter has moved a predetermined distance toward the work-support, and means for releasing such engagement after a single operation of the die-carmenace rier in this relation, said engaging and releasing means acting automatically.

l7. In a machine of the class described, a base-frame comprising a pair of parallel uprights, a work-support, a reciprocatory iember working on said uprights, a depressible member mounted on said reciprocatory member and movable independently thereof, said depressible member carrying a die to ccoperatewith said work-support, meansfor automatically efiecting an engagement between said reciprocatory member and said depressible member when the latter is moved a predetermined distance toward said worksupport, whereby the die is driven into the work, and means for automatically releasing such engagement of the reciprocatory memher and the depressible member after a single actuation of said members in this relation.

18. In a machine of the class described, a baseframe having parallel uprights thereon, awork-support, a reciprocatory die-carrier supported from said uprights, means for manually moving said die-carrier toward said work-support, a reciprocatory power device working on said upr ghts in cooperative relation to said die-carrier, means for automatically eifecting an interlocked engagement between said power device and said die-carrier when the latter has moved a predetermined distance toward said work'- support, whereby the die is driven into the work, and means for automatically releasing such engagement of the power device and die-carrier upon the following movement thereof away from said work-support.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

DENNIS PARKS.

tic ies of this atent ma he obtained for five cents each, b addressing the Gommissioner of Eatentz,

5 5T Washingtom D. 1;. 

